It is a Greek term for manifestation of God. These sudden and unexpected appearances of God occur at decisive points in Israel's history.

Example: The call of Moses at the burning bush, The giving of the 10 commandments on mount Sinai and God speaks to them from the fire on top of the mountain.

A Hebrew word that literally means teaching or instruction.The term refers to the first 5 books of the Old Testament.

The Outer Court

The Holy Place

The Most Holy Place

The altar of burnt offering also called the "Bronze Altar"

Then the bronze laver.

It means the animal's sacrifice ransomed the sinner from the death which the sinner deserved. The animal became the worshiper's substitute and lost its life in order for the sinner to live.

What are the differences and similarities between the sacrifices of Israel and the other Near Eastern Nations?

Similarities: They were both designed to provide fellowship with the diety, to appease the gods and to ensure continuance of divine favor.

Differences:

1. The Mesopotamians commonly used the sacrificial animal as a means of clairvoyance, in order to discern the future actions of the gods.

2. The most distinctive aspect of Israelite sacrificial system is the way it was linked to the covenantal relationship with God.

3. A third unique feature of Israel's use of the sacrifical system is the concept of holiness which was based on the moral and ethical nature of God.

1. Burnt Offering (For gaining divine favor)

2. Cereal Offering (Thanksgiving and securing divine goodwill)

3. Peace Offering (Gratitude to God, fellowship with Him, Public rejoicing; deliverance from vows.)

4. Sin Offering: (Need for purification from sin or defilement.)

5. Guilt offering: (Guilt about misappropriateion of holy things or some loss to sanctuary.)

1. It was the day for the purging of sins from the entire year from the camp. It was not like the other feast days as it did not commemorate or celebrate something from the past.

2. It was the only day in the year when the high priest was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies. There he carried the blood of the slain offerings to make atonement for himself and the nation.

3. The high priest placed his hands on the head of the scapegoat, Azazel, and the animal was sent into the desert, carrying the sins into the desert.

1. Balaam's donkey proved to be more spiritualy astute and sensitive than this great mesopotamian seer, Balaam.

2. Balak had comissioned Balaam to curse Israel.

3. The Spirit of God came upon Balaam and reversed the curses he had planned.

4. The Israelites were camped in Moab, which was the final stopping place before entering the promised land.

5. Balaam influenced them to inter-marry with the Moabite women, which led to the worship of the Moabite gods.  

A 5 part concentric pattern which describes the book of Deutoronomy.

A. The outer frame (a look back)  (1-3)

    B. The Inner Frame (The covenant summary) (4-11)

         C. The Central Core (Covenant Stipulations (12-26)

    B' The inner Frame (The Covenant Ceremony) (27-30)

A' The outer Frame (A Look Forwad) (31-34

1. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.

2. Thou shalt not make any graven images.....

3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain.....

4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy...

5. Honor thy father and thy mother....

6. Thou shalt not kill.

7. Thou shalt not committ adultery

8. Thou shalt not steal.

9. Thou shalt not bear false wittness against thy neighbor.

10. Thou shalt not covet....

Deutoronomy is the foundation stone for the so-called Deutoronomistic History. The books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings comprise a unit of historical books which have a strong deuteronomistic influence.

Three speeches of Moses and three appendixes.

Speeches:

1. The first address of Moses, recounts God's mighty acts on Israel's behalf from the time of the covenant at Sinai to this renewal ceremony in Moab. (1:1-4:43) 

2. Moses' second speech restates the covenant laws originally presented in Exodus 20-23. The Ten Commandments needed to be applied speficially to the people's new life in the promised land instead of their wilderness lives. (4:35-50)

3. The third speech is Moses' final address to the nation. He begins with a ritual of curses and blessings and comissions Joshua as his successor. (4:44-26:19)

Three appendices:

1. Songs of Moses (Chapter 32)

2. Blessings of Moses (Chapter 33)

3. Death and burial of Moses.  (Chapter 34)

Six elements found in the structure of ancient Suzerainty covenants

1.  The Preamble: introduction indentifies the suzerian king, giving his titles and atributes

2. Historical prologue: usually details the benevolent acts of the suzerian on the behalf of the vassal, intended to make the vassal feel obligated to the suzerian for favors already received.

3. The stipulations, explaining the obligations imposed on and accepted by the vassal, usually includes a prohibition against relationships with any other foreign nation outside the Hittite Empire. Requires anual visit to the suzerian, probably on the occasion of the annual tribute, and a pledge of loyalty to the suzerian.

4. Provisions for deposit in the temple and periodic public readings to ensure that the population of the vassal nation were familiar with the requirements.

5.  The list of gods as witnesses.

6. The curses and blessings formula for those who were and those who were not faithful.

And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.

Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:

The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

This feast is the first of the annual feast in the Hebrew ecclesiastical calendar, and commenmorates the deliverance from Egyptian bondage. The principal element is "Sender" a meal (eaten on the fist night of the feast) with a lamb (a shankbone after the 2nd Temple times)representing the slain Passover lamb whose blood was sprinkled upon the doorpsts and lintels so God would pass over without destroying the first born. This meal includes also the bitter herbs and unleavened bread recalling the bitterness of bondage and the haste of the children of Israel in leaving Egypt.

Comes 50 days after the Passover. This is the Feast of the Harvest, also named HAG Habbikkurim "Feast of First Fruits." This is also the feast of the revelation and giving of the Torah to Moses by Yahweh on Mt. Sinai. Modern custom is to study the Torah all night.

First day of the Jewish civil year. This is the day when God was proclaimed King of Israel. It is likewise the preparationfor the judgment of the world. (Alluding to YomKippur) and also regarded as the first day of Creation week.

This is the Shabbat Shabbaton, the most important day of the year. A day when the "divine sentence is sealed". Confession and repentance are fundamental to this day of fasting.

The people constructed booths (sukkot) covered with branches to live in for 7 days, reminiscent of the 40 years of Israel's dwelling in "booths" in the wilderness following their exodus from Egypt. At the temple the spectacular "water outpouring" and the light ceremonies symbolized the water from the rock and pillar of fire during the wilderness wandering. It was also the year's crowning agriculture feast celebrating the bounties of the fruit harvest.

In biblical times called the eighth or "Great" day of the feast (of Sukkot), but since the Middle Ages it has been an independent festival called Simhat Torah(Rejoicing of the Torah) Modern customs include joyous hakkofot or circuits around the synagogue carrying the Torah Scrolls amid dancing and singing.

Hanukkah means dedication. This feast commemorates Judas Maccabees' purification and dedication of the altar on the third anniversary of the profanation of the temple by Antiochus Epiphanes, the 25th Kislev, 164 BCE. The kindling of the 8 lamps at the time of this feast recalls the miracle of the oil; the oil which was only enough to for a single day miraculously burned for eight days.

Purim is a joyous feast inspired by the atmosphere of jubilation of the people of Israel at the time when God granted the prayer of Esther and gave victory over wicked Haman, who had cast lots (Purim) to determine the day for the destruction of teh Jews. The feast recalls the age-long battle of God versus the forces of evil.

1. Sabbath

2. Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread

3. Feast of Weeks

4. Feast of Trumpets

5. Day of Atonement

6. Feast of Tabernacles or Booths

7. Rejoicing in the Law

8. Feast of Dedication or Feast of Lights

9. Feast of Lots or Feast of Esther

1. Burnt Offering

2. Cereal Offering

3. Peace Offering

4. Sin Offering

5. Guilt Offering

1. Unknowable view = incomprehensible

2. Ontological view = God is self existent. He has intrinsic life.

3. Divine Action view: God who acts on the behalf of His people.

1. Peasant Revolt (Bolshevik Revolution) Theory: The group that came to be known as Israel were the under-dogs of the cananites. It says that Israelites were native cannanites and they revolted because they wanted to take charge of the land.

2. Gradual infiltation theory: Says that they were outsiders, they came slowly and my have not have been all from the same race (sort of like how North America was settled)

Theories 3 and 4 are more in keeping with Scripture:

3. 1280 BC was the Exodus and after 40 years of wandering in the desert they had a conquest at 1240 BC

4. 1446 BC was the Exodus and after 40 years in the wilderness they conquered in 1406 BC. (Dr. King favors this view and thinks it is the most likely.) This was  when Thutmos III was Pharoah. (See your class notes for more details)

It says that the plagues were natural disasters that occured at that time. (Example the water was red because of flooding upstream which caused the red clay to mix with the water giving it a red tint. The plague of insects or frogs were just natural plagues that come now and then to that region.)

Give the different ways the Bible phrases the references to the hardening of Pharoah's heart; and observations that help us understand what the Bible means when it speaks of this matter.

The way the Bible Phrases it:

1. The Lord hardened Pharoah's heart

2. Pharoah hardened his heart

3. Pharoah's heart was hardened.

Explanations:

1. God takes responsibility like a father with a child.

2. "The teacher gave me an F" is what kids will say but they actually "earned" the F. So Pharoah hardened his heart against God.

3. The Holy Spirit tried to change Pharoah's heart but he resisted so his heart was hardened.

Everytime we resist God, we have hardened our heart.

Ancient Hebrews didn't see any difference between causality and permission. If something happened then it was God's will no matter what that something was. That is why the three phrases or ways of saying that Pharoah's heart was hardened was not a problem to the Hebrew.

Another way to look at this is: The same sun that hardenes clay, melts wax...it depends what you are made of.

Catholic Way: Commandent 1 and 2 are in one as they take out the the part prohibiting graven images. They then split the commandment about not coveting.

Jewish Way of Numbering. The preamble to the 10 commandments becomes commandment number one.

Regular Christian Bible: As you are used to seeing them in most all Bibles.

1. The 10 commandments were already in effect before they were given at Siani. It was not just for the Israelites. Otherwise, why was it wrong for Cain to murder Abel, or how did Joseph (In Genesis 39:9) know that he could not "sin against God" with Potipher's wife, or why does Genesis 35:5 say to put away your foreign gods' if there wasn't an understanding of the 10 commandments?

2. The 10 commandments appear in some form before they were given at Sinai. (Such as the Sabbath at Creation)

3. When the 10 commandments were given, there were indicators that they were premant moral absolutes, written in stone, written by the finger of God. They were abiding and important.

4. The NT has clear indications that the 10 commandments are still normative and authoritative for Chrisitans today.

Matthew 5:17 says that Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fuill it.

He also says in Matthew 22:36 that "on these two commandements (love to God and love your neighbor as yourself), hang all the law and prophets.

Romans 10:4 says that Christ is the end of the law of righteousness..he is the most righteous. Galations says we must have faith that works by love.

I Corinthians7:19 says that keeping the law is what matters.

Galatians 6:1,2 says to honor your father and mother, quoting the 10 commandments.

I John 2:3 says that if you say you know him but don't keep his commandments then you are a liar.

I John 5:3 says that the love of God is that we obey his commandments and that they are not "grevious". Revelation 12:17 talks about the saints that are saved who "keep the commanemnts of God, and

Revelation 14:12 says the same thing.

1. The context of the law is the atmosphere of grace.

2. Both law and grace were given by the same God (Marcion an early heritic thought that they were not consistent with each other, i.e. God is not gracious or loving. But God is both gracious and loving, but he still has laws that he means for us to obey.)

3. The same law that calls for forgiveness also makes provisions for forgiveness. Example: John 2:1 says that I write these things to you so that you might not sin, but if you do sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

4. The law was never intended to be a means of earning salvation. It was a means of maintaining an already existing relationship with God. It brings us true freedom.

Clean and unclean animals, the different views proposed as the rationale behind the distinction between clean and unclean.

1. Arbitrary Reason: God decided there would be clean and unclean animals to test people's loyalty like the tree in the garden of Eden, but not for any health reasons.

2. Cultic Explanation (means anything connected with religious worship) So Unclean animals were unclean because they were connected with religious worship in those days. That is partially true but not the entire reason by any means because both Israelites and Philistines sacrificed the same type of animals.

3. Symbolic explanation says that the habbits of the clean creatures goes back to 150 BC  where Aristius (not sure of spelling) says that animals which are clean chew the cud because it is to remind us to medicate on God.

4. Health and Hygein explamation: Some animals are inheritly dirty by habbit and practice or not healthy to eat.

1. When do we find clean and unclean first mentioned? In the story of Noah and the flood. This was before there were any Israelites, and before the flood.

2. You can't make unclean animals clean (unlike washing and waiting a certain amount of time after touching a dead corpse). Unclean animals are always unclean.

3. Leviticus 11:44,45 says that we are not to defile ourselfves because you are called to be holy. I Peter 1:16 "says be holy because I (God) am holy"

4. Modern medical science has pointed out evidence of dangers in unclean meats. The do not promote health.

Give various lines of evidence supporting a 15th century exodus

Around 1526 Bc. Thutmose the I came to the throne as the 18th dynasty. He had a daughter and a son who were half siblings. His daughter was Hatshepsut, who became Moses' adopted mother. His son  was Amanehotep II.

Amanehotep II rule from about 1512 - 1504 reigning for 8 years. He was married to his 1/2 sister Hatshepsut. He had no sons with his wife, but he did have a son with a concubine and then he died. This son is too young to become king. This son with a concubine is named Thutmose III. So Haatshepsut ruled. She was addressed as 'he" and even wore a beard. She probably wanted Moses on the throne over the son of her husband's cocubine. But she mysteriously disappears from history. The Pharoah that Moses deals with then is probably Thutmose the III.